Growing tomatoes in a shell

In winter or early spring, tomato seedlings are planted indoors on windowsills. The space is limited, so every centimeter must be used. Growing tomato seedlings in "snails" saves space, no containers are needed, plants are easy to care for.

The "shell" method allows you to grow tomato seedlings in winter or early spring, even in a small apartment. This method is used indoors on windowsills. It doesn't require any special skills or effort. No equipment or numerous pots are needed. Preparation and planting the seeds take 20-30 minutes. All that remains is watering the seedlings and monitoring the lighting.

Advantages of the method

A snail is a dense, twisted material that is gradually filled with soil. It is rolled like a roll and tied with rope or a rubber band.

The advantage of planting in a shell:

• takes up little space;
• good seed germination;
• it takes little time to land;
• you won't need a lot of soil;
• roots develop better;
• water less often, since moisture takes a long time to evaporate;
• no need for containers that need to be purchased;
• the seedlings do not stretch out much;
• picking is easier, without damaging the seedlings.

Seedlings shouldn't stretch; all their energy should be directed toward root development. The future harvest depends on this.

Preparatory work

Place an oilcloth on the table to prevent soil from contaminating the surface. Then begin preparation. First, you need to process the seeds and select the material for making the shells.

Material for the snail

It's necessary to use a thick film, the kind used for greenhouses. This material won't fall apart and will hold its shape well. Many have learned to use laminate underlayment—the material is convenient, lightweight, retains heat and moisture, and is waterproof. The film and underlayment are cut with scissors or a wallpaper knife.

Materials for making a shell and planting seeds:

• clear plastic shell box;
• laminate backing tape 1.5 m long and 10 cm wide;
• plastic bag;
• soil mixture;
• seeds; 2 rubber bands;
• tweezers;
• shoulder blade;
• spray.

If the seedlings will be pricked out, the strip width is 10 cm. If the seedlings will remain in the shell until planting in the beds, the substrate width is cut to 15 cm. The length of the strip for sowing 30 seeds with picking is 150-160 cm, and the length of the strip for planting 30 seeds without picking is 300 cm.

Seed preparation

First, they calibrate the seeds—selecting only healthy, large seeds from the previous year. Rotten, fused, small, and dark seeds are discarded.

Preparation process:

• identify empty seeds: immerse them in salted water for 6 hours, unsuitable specimens will float to the surface;
• immerse in a manganese solution for 20 minutes for disinfection;
• Place the seeds on damp gauze, leave to germinate for a day, and add aloe juice as a growth stimulant.

Soil

Tomatoes prefer light, alkaline soil with a pH of 6-7, consisting of black soil, peat, and sand in a ratio of 1:0.5:1. Treat the soil mixture against fungi and bacteria. Freeze the soil for 4 hours on a dry base, making sure the layer is 2 cm thick. If it's freezing outside, you can take the soil out onto the balcony for 5-6 hours.

The second disinfection method is steaming. Place a cloth in a colander, add a handful of soil, and hold it over steam (a pot of boiling water) for half an hour. Heat the soil in sections until the entire mass is steamed. The soil should not become wet.

Making a snail

Once the preparatory process is complete, begin making the snail. The material is cut into several strips, depending on the amount of seed needed. If there are only a few seeds, the strip is short. The longer the strip, the larger the shell. The strip is laid out on the table, with one end placed on a tray.

Sequence of actions:

• The soil is applied to a 15 cm section of the strip, with a 1-1.5 cm layer of topsoil. To prevent the soil from crumbling, it is lightly moistened with a spray bottle.
• Place the seeds at a distance of 2 cm from each other; it is better to take them with tweezers.
• They are planted deeper by pressing the seeds into the soil with a finger.
• Step back 2 cm from the edge of the strip. Carefully roll the material into a roll so that the soil does not crumble, until the place where the soil layer ends.
• The rolled-up structure is held with one hand, and with the other a new layer of soil is applied, placing the seeds on it one by one.
• The procedure continues until the entire tape is filled with soil and the seeds are planted.

The entire structure resembles a snail or a roll. It is secured with two rubber bands—one at the top and one at the bottom. The shell is placed (seed side up) in plastic containers and transferred to a warm place for the sprouts to emerge. Sawdust is placed at the bottom of the containers to absorb excess moisture. Once the snail is assembled, it is watered and a plastic bag is placed on top to create a greenhouse effect. The bag is secured with a rubber band. After the first shoots appear, the plastic bag is removed.

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Caring for seedlings in a snail

If a lot of soil has fallen out, replenish it and add more soil to the substrate. Once the seedlings emerge, place the snail in a bright spot. Daylight should be 10-12 hours, and lamps can be used to supplement the light. Don't overwater the snails, but water the tomatoes regularly. The soil should always be moist. A spray bottle is best. If weeds appear in addition to the seedlings, remove them.

Growing tomato seedlings in shells

You can plant seeds of different varieties in snails for seedlings. It all depends on the gardener's preference, the growing region, the growing season, and the intended use of the tomatoes. Recommended varieties:

• Popular tomato varieties: Bull's Heart, Big Mom, De Barao, Pink Honey, Black Truffle, Gazpacho, Konigsberg, Ildi.
• Tomatoes from the Gavrish agricultural company: Lemon giant, Grandma's gift, Akulina, Raspberry elephant, Rosemary.
• Marble beauties: Amur tiger, Blue bunch, Siberian malachite, Emerald apple, Sherkhan.
• Varieties with unusual shapes: Kiwi, White Sugar, Pink Accordion.
• Dwarf hybrids, space-saving in "snails", do not require pinching: Evgeniya, Podsnezhnik, Rumyany Gosha, Sanka, Altaechka, Ryabchik, Laskovy Misha.
• Time-tested tomatoes: White filling, Betta, Peremoga, Verlioka, Moskvich, Siberian early ripening, Ground Gribovsky, Blagovest.

Mistakes when growing seedlings in a snail

If the bag is removed too late, the seedlings begin to grow rapidly. The seedlings become elongated, which negatively impacts plant development. Often, seedlings stop growing after transplanting. Therefore, it's best not to rush transplanting into individual containers, as the cups will take up a lot of space on the windowsill.

If the soil isn't treated before sowing, fungal infections such as blackleg or gray mold may develop. This devastating disease will destroy young plants. Treatment should be carried out with Trichodermin, strictly according to the instructions.

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Picking out the shell

Even with the same sowing dates, seedlings emerge at different times and grow to different lengths. To separate the larger seedlings, the roll is unrolled. Small seedlings, which need to grow, remain inside. To transplant, place the roll of soil on the table and carefully unroll it. Strong seedlings are selected; the root systems of the plants in the rolls are not intertwined. After removing the seedlings, the roll is carefully rolled back and placed in the container for further growth.

You can evaluate the effectiveness of this method by planting some seeds in shells and some in containers. After 2-3 weeks, you can compare the growth and number of seedlings. Tell me what methods you use for planting tomatoes at home? And which of these methods actually produces good results?